Broken (a novella)

3

Kylo hardened. What was Hux implying? That Kylo liked Rey? It was preposterous. She was a year younger than him, very plain to look at, and a little annoying sometimes. But those eyes and that laugh and those clenched fists at his house last night...

Kylo resolved right then and there not to let her get under his skin again. It was making him weak. Weakness was something he could not afford, especially since Hux was his best friend and he had only really met Rey yesterday. It occurred to him then that he didn't know much about her and he resolved to learn more about her that evening. They still had plans to go to Walmart and get things for the project, but Kylo realized he needed to confirm this with her. Turning his back on a fuming Hux, Kylo cleared his throat. "Rey?" he asked.

She had been watching his whispered conversation with Hux interestedly, and a sly smile came to her face when he spoke her name. "Yes?" she asked in a slow, singsongy voice.

"We still on to go to Walmart and get a few things for the project tonight?"

"Like what?" Rey asked.

"Modeling clay and tape, mostly," he replied. "Clay to actually make the stupid mitochondria and tape to label the parts. We can go back to my place and build it. Maybe we can even get started on the paper if you want."

She crossed her arms. It was adorable, and Kylo almost smiled. He caught himself just in time. He hadn't smiled in a long, long time. Who was Rey to him, that she made him want to smile? It was yet another question on the list of questions bouncing around in his brain.

"Han just won't shut up about me. That's what it is," she laughed.

She was right, but that wasn't why Kylo wanted her to come over. In his room, they were safe from prying eyes that would judge them, and he could be himself, something he could never do at school. It had been refreshing, and he missed the feeling. It would be extremely welcome in such a harsh, cruel world of pain and hurt. So he sucked up his emotions and agreed. "Yeah," he said stiffly. "He keeps asking about you. He's ecstatic that I brought home a girl." Kylo could feel Hux's eyes on back, so he added, "As if I'd ever date the likes of you."

Pain clouded Rey's beautiful, doe's eyes. He had hurt her, and it instantly made him regret his words and wish he could take them back, but a small, mean smile had crossed Hux's face. Kylo had pleased his best friend, but why did he still feel like shit inside?

Angrily, like the doe that had stomped her foot defiantly near the stream, Rey opened her mouth. "Good. Because I'd never date the likes of you. Your nose is too big and your ears make you look like an African elephant. You also look like you weigh thirty pounds soaking wet, and there's no way that shade of black is your natural hair color. What's next? Painting your fingernails black? Really, I'd rather date my cousin than you."

Kylo glared. She had struck a nerve. He had always had self-esteem problems with his ears and nose. They were Han's, and they were ugly. The long hair helped cover his ears, but he could do nothing about his nose. Kids had teased him about it in middle school, and even freshman year of high school before his legs had caught up with the rest of his body.

But Rey wasn't done yet. By now the whole class had gone silent and was listening. One student was even videotaping their fight with her cell phone. "I hate you," Rey growled. "You always smell like cigarette smoke, and it makes me want to puke. And what's with wearing black all the time? Are you trying to rob someone's house at night? You think it makes you look dark and mysterious, but really it makes you look like a whiny brat who thinks everyone's out to get him. On top of this, you treat people like shit and you only have exactly one friend, who is just as bad as you are, if not worse. You disgust me, Kylo Ren, or should I say Ben Solo? That's what I'm calling you from now on because it's your real name. The other one is stupid. No one cares about you and your stupid nickname except for your little boyfriend, so no one should call you that. It's dumb."